Automatic weighing apparatus.



PATENTED MAY 17, 1904.

T. H. RQLFE. AUTOMATIC WBIGHING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 27, 1904.

HO MODEL.

l minnow UNITED STATES Patented May 17, 1904.

PATENT i OFFICE.

THOMAS H. ROLFE, OF BATILECREEK, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO NICHOLS AND SHEPARD COMPANY, OF BATTLECREEK, MICHIGAN.

AUTOMATICilNEIGHING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of lldttGI'S Patent No. 760,251, dated May 17, 1904. Application filed I'elirnary 27", 1904. Serial No. 195,516. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS H. RoLEn,v a citi zen of the United States, residing at Battle'- creek, in the county of Calhoun and State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Automatic Weighing Apparatus, of

which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the acccompanying drawings.

This invention relates to automatic. weighing apparatus, the object in view being to' provide aweighing device by means of which ma- ,terial fed or delivered thereto will. be auto-' matically weighed and discharged therefrom, the apparatus by reason of its construction automatically setting itself or being intermittently operated by a predetermined weight of the description proceeds, the invention consists in an automatic weighing apparatus embodying certain novel featuresand details of. construction and arrangement as herein fully described, illustrated, and claimed. "w

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of an automatic weighing ap-; paratus embodying the present invention. 1 Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the: oscil- *latory hopper or receptacle.

Like reference-numerals designate corresponding parts in both figures of the drawings. The weighing apparatus contemplated in this invention comprises,essentially, an oscillatory weighing hopper orreceptacle 1, the main body portion of which is substantially V cylindrical, as best shown in 'Fig. 2 and also shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, the said hop- 1 per comprising oppositely-arranged front and back walls 2, connected along portions of their outer. edges by segmental sides 3, which terminate at the top, so as to leave entranceopenings 4:, the said sides also terminating at their lower edges above the bottom of the hopper to form side discharge-openings 5. The

front and back may be arranged any suitable 6, which extends from top to bottom of the hopper and at its lower end meets the hopperbottom, which consists of reversely-inclined 4 portions 7, each of which inclines downward toward its respective discharge-opening and by reason of its inclinationinsures the discharge of its material contained in that compartment. It will be observed that the discharge-openings are arranged at the opposite sides of the hopper and that the outer edges of the front and back walls are disposed tangentially with relation to the segmental sides 3, the purpose of which will hereinafter appear. It will also be noted that the entranceopenings 4 are of equal size and arranged at opposite sides of the division-piece or partition 6, said openings, infact, being-divided from each other by the partition.

An oscillatory hopper 1 is mounted in a suitable frame, which preferably comprises a pair of frame-bars 8, located at opposite sides of the hopper and provided with hearings, in which are journaled trunnions 9, projecting from opposite sides of the hopper 1, one of said trunnions being indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. Above the bars 8 thehopper may be cased n, as shown in Fig. 1, wherein the casmglis shown as comprlslngsemiclrcular sides 10, connected by a rim'11,.while at the "which thie material isfed intothe twin compartmentsibf the oscillatory. hopper. Be-

neath therliars- 8v thecasing may be continued downward v and may also be'constructed as shown at--13 and also connectediwith a discharge spout 14,.leading to any desired point for conducting the grain to and discharging the same into suitable receptaclesysuchas bags-.or-boxes, placed beneath tl1e same. 1At

' opposite sides of the casing sheetrmetalplates that side of the'casing.

or closures 15 are arranged so as to extend over and entirely inclose the discharge-openings 5 of the oscillatory hopper as the latter swings to one side or the other, the dischargeopenings being thus alternately opened and closed automatically. 15 are preferably made thin, so as to bear with a yielding pressure against the sidesof the oscillatory hopper Where the discharge-openings occur, thus preventing leakage of the material as it passes into and accumulates within the temporarily-closed compartment.

Extending downward from one of the diamctrical frame-bars 8 is a hanger 16, provided with a bearing, in which is journaled a spindle or stud-shaft 17 which carries an elbowlever, or, in other words, a pair of arms 18 and 19, disposed substantially at right angles to each other and rigidly connected with a gear-segment 20, extending across the angle between the arms, as shown. The gear-segment 2O meshes with another gear or gearsegment 21, which has a fixed relation to the oscillatory hopper, being preferably mounted on one of the trunnions 9, so that when the hopper oscillates motion is communicated to the gear-segment 20, which acts to throw the arms 18 and 19 from one position to another, one position of said arms being illustrated in full lines in Fig. 1 and the other position being illustrated in dotted lines, each of the arms moving through approximately a quarter-circle. Each of the arms 18 and 19 is provided with an adjustable weight 22, adapted to be moved inward and outward on the arm and fastened by means of a set-screw 23 or its equivalent; In this way the weight of material to be deposited in each hopper-compartment and which will serve to oscillate the hopper may be determined upon and regulated to a nicety. \Nhen the apparatus is in position to receive the incoming material, it will be noted that the division-piece or partition 6 stands at an angle from the vertical, so that the material falls into that compartment of the oscillatory hopper in which the discharge-opening is closed by the adjacent plate orclosure 15. When the predetermined amount of material has been deposited in that compartment, the holding tendency of the weighted arms is overcome and that side of the hopper moves downward, thus'through the medium of the gearsegment throwing the weighted arms from one side to the other, the weighted arms thus assisting in the movement of the hopper, which discharges as it swings and is thus held located at the other extreme of movement, in which position the division-piece or partition 6 is disposed at a reverse inclination and the discharge-opening of the other hopperreceptacle closed by means of the plate 15 at The hopper thus oscillates or swings from one side to the other, alternately presenting the entrance-openings beneaththe inlet or feeding hopper and also The plate or closures effecting a corresponding closure of the discharge-openings. The successive charges of material passing from the oscillatory hopper may be caught in any suitable receptacle placed beneath the apparatus. The apparatus as a whole may be mounted upon a threshingmachine, for example, and the threshed grain may bedelivered by means of a suitable elevator into the inlet or feeding hopper 12.

One of the principal features of the present invention resides in the employment of the meshing gear segments, which operate to throw the weighted arms from one side to the other and the location of the fulcrum of said arms below the axis of oscillatory movement of the weighing-hopper, the said particular relation of parts being productive of a more positive swinging and holding of the weighing-hopper by enabling the weighted arms to exert a greater leverage upon said hopper. The plates 15 are bent inward at their lower edges as an additional safeguard against leakage of material from the hopper.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. An automatic Weighing apparatus comprising an oscillatory hopper provided with separate compartments adapted to be successively presented to the incoming material, each compartment having an entrance-opening and a side discharge-opening, a weighted arm operated upon by and operating upon the hopper, said arm swinging on a center located at a distance from the center upon which. the weighing-hopper oscillates, and gearing connecting the axes of the hopper and weighted arm.

2. An automatic weighing apparatus comprising an oscillatory hopper having separate compartments adapted to be successively presented to the incoming material to be weighed, and a pivoted and weighted arm fulcrumed on a center located at a distance from the axis of movement of the weighing-hopper, said arm being operatively connected by spurgearing with the hopper and cooperating therewith so as to alternately hold the compartments of the weighing-hopper in receiving position.

3. An automatic weighing apparatus comprising an oscillatory hopper embodying twin compartments adapted to be alternately presented to the incoming material, said compartments being provided with individual entrance and discharge openings, weighted arms disposed at an angle to each other and movable on a center located at a distance from the center of movement of the oscillatory hopper,and spur-gears connected respectively with the weighted arms and oscillatory hopper whereby said arms and the hopper cooperate, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. An automatic weighing apparatus comprising an oscillatory hopper having twin hopper and geared to the hopper, substan- IO tially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS H; ROLFE.

Witnesses CHESTER P. ALDRICH, B. M. KETOHAM. 

